🦉Please note: the lesson plans we’ve linked to below are only available to members. If you’d like to be supported in curriculum-based outdoor learning, please take a look at the membership options available.
April is Stress Awareness Month
Stress Awareness Month is a month for raising awareness and understanding of stress; the importance of recognising it, understanding its impact on mental and physical health, and promoting effective coping tools. Here’s a lesson for you about health and wellbeing and another called breathing it in. You might also want to take a look at our blog post Outdoor Magic.
2nd April: International Children’s Book Day
This day, where a love of reading is celebrated and encouraged, is observed on or around the date of Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday. When it comes to blending books with the great outdoors, we’ve got stacks of lessons ready and waiting for you. We’d also love to share our Top Books for Outdoor Learning and 5 Free Activities for World Book Day.
3rd April: Good Friday
A Christian holiday, commemorating the day of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, which always falls the Friday before Easter Sunday. Take a look at our Easter Egg Experiment which acts as a lesson in road safety.
17th April: Haiku Poetry Day
Under open skies,
Nature’s classroom whispers truth,
Haiku blooms with joy.
We couldn’t write about Haiku Poetry Day without giving this form of Japanese poetry a go! A Haiku consists of 3 lines of syllables which form the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. They’re often non-rhyming, there’s certainly no need for them to rhyme. Oh, and quite the challenge; trying to convey a story, memory or image in just a handful of syllables requires creativity aplenty. Here’s a fantastic lesson about taking Haiku outdoors.
18th April: World Heritage Day
Also known as International Day for Monuments and Sites (IDMS), World Heritage Day is a wonderful chance to celebrate and acknowledge the diversity of cultural heritage. Archaeology Scotland have the Heritage Hero Awards which is an incredible way for the community, including our schools, to get involved in preserving and learning about our heritage – take a look at these Champion Heritage Schools. We’ve also got two lessons to help you mark this day: Communities Over Time and Memorials.
22nd April: Earth Day
We only have one Earth and Earth Day’s aim is to raise awareness of environmental factors and the impact they, and we, have in protecting our planet. This year’s theme is Planet vs. Plastic and comes with a demand that current plastic production decreases by 60% by 2040. We’ve written some thoughts on exploring sustainability issues within primary education settings which might help steer any activities you plan for the day.
23rd April: Shakespeare Day
Shakespeare Day is celebrated on the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birthday – or our best guess of when that is – and his death on the 23rd of April. Possibly our most famous ‘Bard’, Shakespeare left a huge legacy for us to celebrate, revisit and play with. Have a read of Sunshine at Midsummer for ways you can dive into A Midsummer-night’s Dream, outside.
Let’s Get Social
We love seeing what you’re all up to when it comes to outdoor learning; please do find us on social media (we’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn) and tag us so we can have a nosey.
